M. Melin

I think my favorite thing to see in Europe (I can generalize here) is where stone steps in castles and ancient churches have been worn into pathways by centuries of human feet. It's really beautiful to stop and think about.

Monsieur Melin is my most amusing (and most difficult) professor at CIDEF. He teaches my English-French translation class and looks a bit like Justin Beiber in 50 years, with snazzier ties. Obviously he's fluent in English, but he speaks it with a very heavy accident and a very interesting lilt, which I would pay money to be able to imitate.

I recently got an assignment back from him, on which the grade was 12.5 / 20. In America, I would have pooped my scholarly pants. That's a failing grade. But what was written on my paper? Assez-bien, pretty good. And it's not just that he was patting me, a lowly first-timer, on the back; French grading is incomprehensible to American --and Swedish, says my friend Ulrika-- minds.

Points are scored 20/20. That's not so unusual in itself; I've had 20/20 assignments before, in which I usually expect to get back a 17, 18, or 19. In other words, an A. In France, an A is 14/20. 10/20 or above is passing. A 15-16 out of 20 is an A ++. Professors do not, I repeat do not, give 19/20 or 20/20.  I had this explained to me by my Language prof., but M. Melin explained it much more colorfully:

Translated document
"If you get back a paperrrr wif zerrrro red marrrks, what weeel the note be?"
me: 20/20?
"Non! 16!"
me: *confounded*
"Twenteee out of twenteee, that eeez for God. Nineteeeeen out of twenteee, that eez for Jesus. Eighteeen out of twenteee, that eez for the Virgin Maryeee. And seventeeen out of twenteee, that eez for the professorrrr!"

So, even if I miraculously (perhaps Mary will tutor me) turn out a translated document that earns zero red marks, and has zero mistakes, the highest point value I can earn is a 16, by virtue of a) not having a diploma and b) not being a supreme being, professors being apparently closely related in this department.